First Emerald Remodel Certified

A newly renovated home in Phoenix has become the first remodeling project in the nation to receive Emerald certification, the most stringent achievement level in the National Green Building Standard.

The 1,600-sq.-ft. 70-year-old ranch house is in the Pierson Place Historic District. It is the first in a series of homes being renovated by Green Street Development, a Phoenix home building company specializing in environmentally sensitive design and construction. All are planned to meet requirements of the standard.

In remodeling the home, Green Street reduced the Home Energy Rating — set at 100 for today’s new homes — from 178 to 68. It features new Energy Star-rated windows and appliances, water-efficient fixtures, upgraded heating, air conditioning and insulation systems, and native landscaping for even more water savings. The builder estimates the improvements should cut water use by 65 percent. |

Recycling

Program for Preferred Contractors

Owens Corning announced through its roofing business that it will provide a new program that simplifies recycling asphalt shingles for its Preferred Roofing Contractors. The company is the first roofing manufacturer to connect contractors with convenient recycling facilities through a national strategic alliance.

Based on a pilot conducted in Indiana, Owens Corning will roll out the program nationally, starting in the Midwest. As part of the program, contractors pledge to recycle their shingle tear-offs. In addition to keeping shingle waste out of landfills, contractors benefit by promoting sustainable business practices to homeowners.

Building Materials

Green Standards to be Developed

UL Environment, Inc. (ULE) announces a collaborative effort to develop sustainability standards for thermal insulation and roof covering materials. These standards will establish environmental requirements for products and associated parts based on life cycle assessment of raw materials, production, distribution, use and disposal.

ULE’s new sustainability standards will be developed through a balanced, collaborative process and draw on input from UL Environment Standard Technical Panels (STPs) comprised of stakeholders such as manufacturers, product installers, distributors, users, consumer interest groups, government entities and testing organizations. These standards will set minimum environmental requirements and create a progressive and tiered approach allowing sustainability leaders to highlight their achievements.

NKBA

2010 Officers Named

The National Kitchen & Bath Association announced the election results for the 2010 NKBA executive committee, which will be led by 2010 president Mark L. Karas, CMKBD, of Stoneham, Mass. Current vice president David Alderman, CMKBD of Chesapeake, Va., will become the president-elect, while current NKBA treasurer Alan Zielinski, CKD of Niles, Ill., has been elected vice president. The two newest members of the executive committee are John Morgan of Glyndon, Md., secretary, and Michael Alba of Coral Springs, Fla., treasurer.